The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-07-14
manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY, JULY IA, 1887.
KENTUCKY PIONEERS.
A Graphic Description of the Last Indian
Battle In Kentucky.

more abhorred or dreaded than his.
| He was the incarnation of savage
| cruelty. He was one of the four sons
of a drunken reprobate who wandered
| into the extreme west of Pennsylya-
MIA, and was there murdered by some
| companion wretch. he was
adopted by the Senecas, and except for
a brief period, when III the employ OF
| Lord Dunmore on the frontier, he
| lived with them and the Shawnees.
At one time he and kenton were
/ brother scouts, and the remembrance
of it induced him, in caprice of
| mercy, to save his old comrade from
| bound. But the weakness was never
| repeated. He advised and witnessed
| the burning Of Colonel Crawford, and
laughed heartily at the wretched suf-
ferer's prayer that his torments light
be ended by bullet. He was slave
to drink, and when under its infiu-
ence it is said she had no compassion
in his heart" Girty profoundly and
sincerely hated the white man, and
lost no chance OF displaying his ami
mostly.
Assembling more than six hundred
picked warriors of the Shawnees and
neighboring tribes at the old Indian
town of Chiilicothe, he moved rapidly
and secretly. crossing the Ohio where
Cincinnati now is built, and pushing
toward the settlement in the Blue
grass.
Silently, on an August night, Girty,
with six hundred Indians, surrounded
the station. Within it there was ac-
tivity and preparation, for the men
were TO start at early dawn to relieve
Captain John Holders little fort,
| across the Kentucky, which was re-
ported as threatened; but no one
dreamed that Girty was near. At
dawn the ritlemen set out from the
| eastern gate, but fortunately a volley
| checked them before it was too late to
| regain the stockade. Elijah Craig
was their commander, and from his
| experience of Indian tactics he guess
! ed the force and plan of the enemy,
and foresaw the siege that he was to
repel. Fortunately, there were pro-
| visions and ammunition, but by some
| improyidence the Enclosure of the sta
ton did not take in the spring of wa
ter upon which the garrison must
rely.
Calling all the women together, he
| explained that the Indians were con-
cealed, as he believed, in force about
the spring. But he thought that the
| ambuScade would not be developed
until an attack by smaller party on
the other side of the stockade, in
tended to divert the pioneers atten-
ton, should first be made; and he
| asked the women to volunteer to fetch
from the spring, before the grand at
tack commenccd the supply of water
that was Indispensable.
1t was naturally objected by the
| women that the men ought to 90, but
| Craig reasoned that the women usu-
! ally went to the spring with their
| buckets, and rarely the men; that the
| one would be regarded BIZ the Indians
a. a proof that their ambuscade and
! plan of attack was not suspected
| while the other would bring on the
attack in open ground. The crisis
| was urgent the peril great; but the
women speedily reached their con-
clusion. Thirty or forty women and
girls went out through the western
| gate, each carrying her pail or bucket,
! and cndeayoring by laughter or song
| to disguise the fear that penetrated
! every bosom. Across the open space
| and past the side of the canebrake
they passed on to the bubbling spring
that burst out from the foot of the
knoll. Their faces betrayed no fear,
their manner showed no agitation,
their walk was not quickened, though
they felt sure that the rifles IF five
hundred sayages bore upon them, and
that not one would survive a signal Of
attack.
The buckets were dipped one after
another in the spring. and loaded with
their precious burden the brave wo-
men returned toward the fort. 1t was
not until the thick cane was again
passed, and the brushes and tall weeds
left behind, that their composure was
disturbed Then. safe from the tom
ahawk and the knife of the savages,
and well within the protecting range
of the rifles of tleir husbands and IA
Tiers, they FASTENED with trembling
| limbs toward the open gate, spilling in
, their safety part of the treasure they
had carried 50 steadily through dan
ger and bursting into tears of agita-
ton and pride and gratitude, Not a
gun was fired ut them. nor did an In
dian move, though tie little company
| passed within twenty yards of five
! hundred. Craig had exactly guessed
i his ancmy'S plan and forecast his ac-
ton. ii was the boldeSt of bold risks,
but it was confidently proposed and
/ u, @rtcctiy carried through. Men often
wnndprSd aftrrward what would have
5rrome of Cr,,,,'e bad tho Indians fired
upon the women. or rushed out and
captured them; but Craigs eooa-ha-
tured reply was, that his good sense
| and the women's courage made the
| exploit safe venture.
As the fight opened, and the little
garrison of forty men held out stoutlv
| against such odds, two brave fellows.
Bell and TomlinsOn, mounted their
horses TO carry the news TO other sta
tons and bring up help. The gate was
suddenly swung open, and they dashed
| 1T topmost speed into the very face of
the Indian ranks, and were through
and beyond, and into the cover of the
waving corn that hid them from the
aim of their astonished foe. Soon
Todd and the men from Lexington
came hurrying up, and the news went
on 10 Boone, and from him to Trigg at
Harrodsburgh. and still further on to
Logan. Never had there been such a
! general uprising. The word flew from
settlement to settlement that every
| fighting man was. needed. The re-
Spouse was instant and unanimous.
The little garrison meanwhile was
sorely pressed, but activity and cour-
age availed them. The women mould
ed bullets and cut patching" and
cared for the wounded and dying as
they fell. The very children caught
the inspiration of their parents conr-
age, and ran from place to place with
gourds full of water to extinguish the
flames that the tire-arrows lighted.
An infant, destined to be the slayer of
/ the renowned Tecumseh. and to be-
/ come a Senator and Vice-President of
= h l. 4. III I